Sole Source Justification_Redacted.pdf

This is a Justification for Sole Source document submitted by the US Naval War College (NWC) Eccles Library to procure renewal of annual contract services for OCLC, Inc. library cooperative membership and services under simplified procedures with a limit of $5 million or less (MPT to SAT).

The Naval War College requires continued access to OCLC's library web database for teaching curriculum and student research support. OCLC is a global, nonprofit library cooperative providing shared technology services, original research, and community programs. The specific services include OCLC Cataloging and Metadata subscription for managing physical and electronic library collections with automated metadata for the online catalog, and WorldShare Interlibrary Loan service connecting NWC to more than 10,000 libraries for interlibrary loan requests. The period of performance runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The justification asserts sole source procurement is required because OCLC's proprietary data and technology have no comparable substitutes in the marketplace, no authorized resellers or subsidiaries can provide equivalent services, and preliminary research into Library of Congress resources (IDIQ) determined those services do not cover all required items. The contracting officer from NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk Contracting Department Regional Directorate approved the justification on May 28, 2026, determining that circumstances justify the brand name sole source procurement action.